MRSI exclusive webinar on The New Qualitative Research Playbook on 10th June

Anjana Pillai

PartnerQuantum Consumer Solutions

Partner and member of the India Board of Directors at Quantum Consumer Solutions Pvt Ltd, with over 20 years of experience in Qualitative Research and Design Strategy

I have partnered several brands for years, and shaped their futures by marrying consumer insight with a lens on strategy and consulting. My experience as a researcher spans across categories such as automobiles, jewellery, watches, apparel, foods and beverages, e-commerce, personal care etc.

I am a Unilever accredited Qualitative CMI and CTI Research Lead. Unilever also awarded me with the ‘CMI VALUED PARTNER’ award in recognition for my work in foods and beverages. My work was also nominated under the category of research that inspired 'Transformational Action' for Unilever.

I have also published research papers and articles in magazines such as Branding in Asia, Campaign India, Bangladesh Brand Forum etc. The links to some of these articles are as follows: 

https://brandinginasia.com/author/anjana-pillai/

https://www.campaignindia.in/article/opinion-consumer-sentiments-change-every-quarter/450402

http://bbf.digital/ai-and-future-of-consumption

Educational Qualifications: 

MBA Marketing from OUCW, Osmania University; topped the 1998 batch

Other Interests: 

Traveling, solving mathematical and crossword puzzles and gardening. 

I also speak 5 languages and have a passion for learning foreign languages.

Priya Lobo

CEOOrmax

Priya Lobo is the CEO of Ormax Compass; and is an active ESOMAR India rep and a managing committee member of MRSI (The Market Research Society of India).

She has spent 25 years at Ormax in the art of understanding consumers; and is a Mom & Kids expert. 

A true explorer at heart, she has varied interests ranging from trekking, adventure sports like scuba diving & snorkelling, theatre, poetry, baking, visiting museums and ancient historical sites; and is a self-confessed foodie.

Paru Minocha

Managing DirectorKantar

Paru started her career over 25 years ago in market research. She joined MARG as a qualitative researcher and then moved to Synovate donning the hat of both, Qualitative and Quantitative research. She currently heads qualitative research for Kantar South Asia.

Her dual experience allows her to focus on key business issues  of clients irrespective of methodology. She leads the design thinking team which enables the client journey from insight to outcome.

She enjoys a series a contradictions… head of qualitative research but major in finance, loves going out with friends but is equally comfortable knitting.

Madhulika Katiyar

Founding PartnerDragonfly Research

Madhulika Katiyar is a seasoned research professional and the founding partner of Dragonfly which she founded in 2008 with a simple & clear vision of being the consumer insights partner clients would trust for their qualitative research needs. Looking back at the last 12 years there is a definite sense of satisfaction having partnered Clients across BFSI, media, automotive, FMCG, retail and many more categories and having delivered insightful work that has helped forge deep and long lasting relationships.

In her career, she has varied experience both within India & internationally. From being a copywriter with Leo Burnett to being the General Manager of a business division in the past. She is an alumni of Miranda House, Delhi University.

Sharmila Das

Chairwoman & Founder DirectorPurple Audacity Research & Innovation

Sharmila has been a Researcher for as long as she remembers. Her journey in the world of  Consumer Insights had started more than 3 decades ago and, post learning both Qualitative and Quantitative research, she chose to develop her expertise in Qual. She was in charge of the Qual business for North and South India at the erstwhile Kantar group prior to starting her own venture 11 years ago. Her mantra has been “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. 

Finding patterns in the seemingly diverse, seems to be something Sharmila does effortlessly. We can neither confirm nor deny reports that she chose market research because she was not allowed to pursue her dream of being a Private Investigator.

When she is not racking her brains over research findings and analysis, she likes to soak up the cultural and topical activities happening around her- be it theatre or heritage walks or activities on social issues.

A few publications from Sharmila Das-

1. Syed S Wahid, Wolfgang Munar, Sharmila Das, Mahima Gupta, Gary L Darmstadt, ‘Our village is dependent on us. That’s why we can’t leave our work’. Characterizing mechanisms of motivation to perform among Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) in Bihar, Health Policy and Planning, Volume 35, Issue 1, February 2020, Pages 58–66, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czz131

2. Banerjee, S.K., Andersen, K.L., Navin, D. et al. Expanding availability of safe abortion services through private sector accreditation: a case study of the Yukti Yojana program in Bihar, India. Reprod Health 12, 104 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-015-0096-6

3. The EQuation to surpass pandemic blues…Navigating the Aftermath of a Global Crisis- Research World, April 2020

4. Challenger Companies and Consortium teams- ESOMAR APAC, Shanghai,2013

5. Constant Surveillance- ESOMAR Qualitative, Boston,2002

6. Through revolving doors- ESOMAR Qualitative, Budapest, 2001